Analyst: GTA V Will Make $1 Billion, Sell 20 Million Units by March

Grand Theft Auto V will make $1 billion in its first month at retail, if an analyst's suspicions become reality.

"Given the significantly higher installed base of relevant console platforms at launch, greater sales concentration among the top video game franchises, and unprecedented pentup demand," said Colin Sebastian of Robert W. Baird said, "we expect GTA 5 to outpace GTA 4 sales, and generate roughly $1 billion in retail sales during the first month."

Analysts Arvind Bhatia and Brett Strauser of Sterne Agee estimate GTA V could sell as many as 20 million copies by its fiscal year end in March 2014. "We see potential for worldwide day-one sell-through of 6.5 million units [and] $400 million for GTA V," they said. Grand Theft Auto IV, for reference, shipped nearly 25 million since its release in 2008.

Exit Theatre Mode

This would exceed Take-Two's prediction that its software lineup would pull in between $750-$800 million for its entire financial quarter, and would go a long way to helping the company hit its $2 billion earnings prediction for all of its products by March 2014.